What about Emery? Emery is a Special Place

By RUBY MINCHEY and told by OLE JENSEN

Editors Note: This story was read in the Emery Town Council meeting and is being placed in a frame at city hall in memory of days gone by:
Everyone that has ever been here knows that Emery is a special place. Special in so many different ways. First the pioneers who settled Emery had a vision of the future. Planned with wide streets running North and South, East and West-wide enough for future growth and development without having to be changed later. Usually with four plots to each city block; easy to survey and be recorded. Emery is nestled in a valley at the foot of the Emery Mountain that stands as a monument to the town. The people who settled Emery were a stalwart, strong and good people. Most of the people who still live here are offspring of those pioneer settlers. We still carry the name of being strong, stalwart, friendly, charitable, and with a love of God and of all people.
During the early 1920s, Emery was a very competitive town. We had to raise funds for many projects and improvements. In those days we didn’t have government grants and loans to help out. We were competitive in sports, especially baseball and softball, and other things as well. In competing for donations and competition we decided to divide the town into corners. What to name these corners was the big decision. This was decided by the people in a very natural and unique way.
Every time we collected donations, the Northwest corner of town always donated more than any other corner-them being a very frugal and careful group. The town didn’t want to give too much credit to one corner, so as a joke they took all things into consideration and named the corner Stingy Corner.
Between 300 and 400 South and Center Street and 100 West, there is a city block that is different than most blocks in our town, There has been no development, nothing grows there, not even much salt grass. It has a history of swamp, teams and wagons mired in the mud and desolation. It stands today as a symbol of alkali-nobody tries to build there, Eldridge Christiansen’s old log house still stands in shambles as a symbol of desertion. Even though this block is deserted and barren there are still many special people in this corner of town who have proven that through hard work and thrift, what can be done with a plot of ground, a home and a family. It is a beautiful part of our town. Thus we have the corner called Swamp Angels, named after that one swampy block in their corner.
We all remember the evenings in the summer time when we heard so many frogs croaking in the Southeast corner of town. It was quite a pleasant and enjoyable sound. A sound we all greatly enjoyed. After the new water systems went in and all the pesticides and insecticides, the sounds of the frogs croaking has almost disappeared-but we still have the name Frog Bottom to remind us of those pleasant sounds of the past.
The story is told that the Ward made a drive to try to find some hidden talent to fill some much needed positions. They went from door-to-door in the Northeast corner of town and couldn’t find one person who was willing or able to try their talents. The report came back that there wasn’t anybody but empty- heads that lived in that corner of town.
So they carry the name Empty-heads to this day.